Thursday, September 30, 2010

Welcome to our fifth Crafty Soiree! I am really loving visiting everyone's blogs and seeing what you're all up to! Over 120 links, AWESOME! It was really hard to pick a category to spotlight, but this week I'd like to feature three projects for kids. First up is this darling superhero cape from Kara's Creations. She has a nice tutorial for you and I especially liked how her version include little arm hole straps so your caped crusader won't blow away on a windy day.

Living with Punks made this striking patchwork skirt for her niece. I think she'll be the most fashion forward kindergartener in the class when she wears this. I just love the color combination!

Last up are these super fun I Spy Bags from Oopsey Daisy! I Spy Bags are fun to begin with but all the things Alison has added to her design make these over the top!

Ladies, for being our features this week, we're happy to offer you our special Crafty Soiree Ribbon! It's yours to proudly display! Don't forget to check out today's Crafty Soiree post at Yesterday on Tuesday, we both pick three participants to feature each week so you might have been featured by Malia. But you'll have to visit her to find out!

This week you'll really want to make sure you stop by because Malia is also hosting a GIVEAWAY in her Crafty Soiree post! Yipee Skipee:)

Now it's your turn to link up! The linky will be open for a week, so you have plenty of time to join us! Here are some guidelines for our guests:

Link up your creative projects! Crafts, Decor, Recipes, Sewing and Organizing tips are are welcome. Kids crafts are welcome too, we want to see how you're encouraging the next generation of artists!

Add your links to the specific posts and not your blog's homepage. Please make sure you post is NEW to A Crafty Soiree, it can be from your archives but should not be something you linked up to our soiree before. We've had a few repeats and we'd like to avoid that.

Add my Crafty Soiree button above or link back to me in your posts, so others can find us and join in!

All partygoers love meeting new friends... if you see something that catches your fancy-- stop by and say hi!

Please consider following the hostesses, me and Malia, we want to get to know our guests

Most importantly... enjoy yourself and have fun!

Don't forget, A Crafty Soiree is hosted on two blogs, so when you link up on one your link will automatically show up on the other one too! Please note, by linking up to A Crafty Soiree, you're giving permission to feature your project and photos in the future, with proper credit of course☺

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

It's been cold and rainy and I'm trying to lose a few pounds. So naturally, I've become obsessed with comfort food...oh yes creamy, stick to your ribs, deep fried goodness in my case. One of my favorite places to indulge is Mimi's Cafe, which sadly, does not have any locations in my home state. Well when you see the carb fest I tend to order there, you might think it's not such a bad thing in my case, at least for my waistline!

No, it's not local anymore but was when I lived in California and New Mexico, and I lived by one long enough to become addicted. The last time I was at one, was in Florida, when we went to the Social Media Moms Conference, last February. I am so obsessed, I looked online to see if a location would coincide with our trip route, and yes, I know that is totally nuts! One of the best things about Mimi's is that they greet you with a bread basket filled with the delicious carrot raisin nut loaf that you can smear with whipped spread, it has a hint of honey in it. There's other rolls in there too, but really when you could be eating carrot raisin bread does that matter?

You can also get it as a muffin and all their muffins are really good, even the bran, which in my opinion says a lot. Many of meals come with a choice of muffin, and I usually take mine home and fill up on bread. Can you tell I love me some carrot raisin loaf?My former coworker Erica is the one who introduced me to their Spinach Artichoke dip, one of the absolute very best I've ever indulged in. I think it's the little bits of sundried tomatoes that really put this one over the top.

Once I've finished eating that ooey gooey four cheese infused fun, I like to follow it with Chicken Cordon Bleu: Golden chicken breasts layered with grilled ham, Swiss cheese and Dijon cream sauce. Served with mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables.

I think the best way to describe it is to refer to the wisdom of the Yo Gabba Gabba Gang, "There's a party in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy!" Normally I am not a fan of mustard sauces but that Dijon cream sauce I could eat with a spoon! It's all I can do to keep from licking the plate! Just so you know, Mimi's Cafe does have lots of healthy choices and it's possible to eat a well balanced meal there. I just tend to order things I never make at home and go a little overboard. But hey, I was at Disney World, I was walking those caleries off! My mom got quiche, and it came with salad, a side of fruit, and a muffin.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Normally I don't do blog awards or tags, but not because I don't love them, I do! It's just that a lot of time I have a tight schedule of things planned out. I get them, I plan to do it, things come up, and then before I know it I have several stacked up. When I can't get to them in a timely fashion I feel bad and guilty, oh the guilt! So I decided to give myself a break and accept with pleasure and move on.

But yesterday, I was feeling kinda blah, and getting over a little bout with the stomach flu over the weekend, when I got TWO! They kinda cheered me up, because hey someone is 1) Interested in me and 2) Thinks my blog is interesting! Yay! Since they both happen to have very similar rules, I decided to combine them and so here they are!

What was the last thing you ate?Club sandwich, our standby quick meal, on bakery bread. Isn't everything better on that? Only mine didn't have tomato, because we forgot to get pick one up and only had grape sized ones. I've tried cutting them up before but they just slide off and are annoying. All this with a glass of diet Pepsi with lots and lots of ice, cause boy am I enjoying the ice maker in my new fridge!

What is one of your best childhood memories?Playing beauty shop with my Great Aunts, it was after my brother was adopted and I was feeling kind of neglected. They made me feel special by paying a lot of attention to me. I also remember pouring and pouring something imaginary out of this set of three pitchers they had when we visited their condo and getting served fruit cocktail. That was something special because we did not get to have fruit from a can at home.

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you were older?Guess what I didn't want to be...a teacher! What a hoot! That's because everyone would tell me I should be one! I on the other hand wanted to be an Egyptologists, and yes, I know that's kind of random. In hindsight, it's kinda amusing since I don't like overly hot weather or being hot and dirty, two things that are probably involved with digging up things in the desert!

However, to this day, I always stop on those shows about ancient Egypt whenever I catch one on television. I also still love reading books about ancient cultures. For a brief time, my childhood interest was reignited in college when I took an Ancient Civilizations class. It was so facinating, and I just loved it. Ultimately, I decided it was something I liked do dabble in for fun; I couldn't see it becoming my whole life.

Do you paint your toenails in the winter?Do I paint them in the summer, no so naturally I also don't bother in the winter. Actually I have terrible foot issues, no one else can touch them...EVER.

Do you watch any reality television? If so, what show is your favorite?I am embarrassed to admit a fascination with The Bachelor and Bachelorette, Dancing with the Stars, Top Chef, and The Real Wives of the O.C. Don't think any less of me, okay?

What were some of the "trends" when you were a kid?Oh yes you betcha I do. How about jelly bracelets and shoes, tight rolled or pinned jeans, wearing jean jacked covered and I mean covered in buttons, and hair scrunchies. Man were we hot in the 80s.

What is your favorite time of the year? Why?Early summer, the kids are out of school and it's not too hot or humid. I love going to the beach, wearing flip flops, and sunny skies! I really like most times of the year for different reasons, with the exception of winter. I don't like gray skies and snow, if I have to do anything other than look at it while holding a mug of hot chocolate.

Do you have any hobbies?I think you all know the answer to that one! YES, I love to scrapbook and papercrafts☺ Crafting and creating is definitely my thing! I'm very excited to be going to a crop this weekend with one of my sorority alumnae sisters!!!

Gosh I have real boring answers, sorry! If I haven't put you to sleep and want to play along, consider yourself all tagged! I didn't pick to give a shout out to anyone in particular for this one because there are SO MANY bloggers tagged for second one...

Monday, September 27, 2010

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM) and The LIFE Foundation has created the "What Matters Most to Me" Facebook app, which lets you easily create a multimedia slideshowshowcasing the important people and things in your life.

All you need are five photos to get started with making your slideshow. If you post it by September 30th it could even win you a trip to Aruba! At the very least it will help raise money for Comfort Zone Camp, the nation's largest bereavement camp serving children who've lost a parent, sibling or primary caregiver. For every friend who likes your slide show $1 will be donated. Helping out kids, it's a good thing!

Disclosure: For posting about this I'll be entered to win an American Express gift card. MomSelect provided me with the information and image used in this post.

Did you know September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month? Alll month long, Electrolux has been donating $200 to OCRF for every new Turquoise Sky Perfect Steam™ washer/dryer pair purchased.

If you've been thinking about purchasing new appliances, NOW is the time to get rid of the old AND help a good cause. I love the turquoise color! I think laundry might actually be fun if you had these to do it in. I know ER would love them, they're her favorite color.

You can also show your support by pressing the Perfect Steam™ button at Kelly Confidential and by entering for a chance to win a daily shopping spree and the grand prize: a Perfect Steam™ washer and dryer from Electrolux.

Disclosure: MomSelect provided me with the information and image used in this post. By posting about this campaign, I will be entered into an exclusive blogger's contest to win my very own Perfect Steam™ washer and dryer from Electrolux. I could really use them, Brad spent all weekend working on our dryer, keep your finger's crossed for me!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Are you familiar with the series of books about a precocious piglet with an overactive imagination named Olivia by Ian Falconer? It's been a big favorite of mine, since the classroom days. Olivia has come to life through a hit animated series and now there are toys too! We got the 2-in-1 Transforming Playset and Olivia doll by Spin Master to review from Team Mom.You can open up the playset and see into Olivia's house. There's the kitchen, living room, bedrooms, and little accessories. There's even a staircase and the itty bitty plates come with stickers so they are always loaded with Olivia's favorite, spaghetti!ER had a lot of fun although, she did wish Olivia stood up a bit better on her own. There is a stand you attach to her feet but that kept falling off, whenever you picked her up.The best part about the playset is that it's double sided. You open one side and have Olivia's house, close it back up, open the other way, and it's a pirate ship! This all makes a lot of sense if you're aware that Olivia's imagination often transforms the area around her, in her mind, on the cartoon show. While ER spends more time playing with the house side, she does like the pirate ship too. The big look out pole is certainly fun. On the downside, we couldn't get the pirate hat to stay on Olivia's head during active play and there is a flimsy cardboard palm tree for the beach that I foresee getting bent, torn, or lost real quickly. I'm also concerned that her vinyl red jumper will get torn, the straps are kind of flimsy.

There are fewer accessories included for ship side. Also, it would've been nice if at least one other character was included along with Olivia. Overall, the playset is a good toy for an Olivia fan. I've seen it listed at $29.99 but it really needs more play figures for Olivia to interact with for it to seem complete. It appears that you can get Olivia's family, but only at one particular store, and if you do that you also get another unnecessary Olivia figure. Her friends do not seem to be available for purchase in the same size.As for the Olivia doll, well it looks like a certain someone wanted to get her little hands on it so much that she couldn't even wait in the other room while I took a picture. It is a sweet little doll and very soft. ER has been happily playing with her and since she is on the smaller size at 8", Olivia is perfect for taking along in a back pack or in the car. Other versions are available and I'm hopeful that eventually you'll be able to purchase different outfits instead of a whole new doll. Olivia is one of ER's favorite television shows, and these toys are perfect for her.

Disclosure: I received these samples by Spin Master through Team Mom and this review reflects my own personal and unbiased experience and opinions of them. No monetary compensation was provided.

Holly has shown us a few of these rag wreaths she makes, and every time I've wanted it. Imagine how happy I was to get a package a few days ago with this pretty pink one inside! That Holly knew just the color I'd want too! There's no way I'm giving mine up, but if you want to make one, Holly was kind enough to do a rag wreath tutorial last spring. Here's a close up of all the pretty fabrics, ribbon, and rick rack Holly used. It's so pretty, I just love it! She even sent along this sweet little card she made with the wreath. It's so darling! I've got it displayed on my shelves in my craft room where I can see it all the time. Thank you Holly for such a lovingly made gift! I appreciate your friendship and support, big {HUGS}!!!

Friday, September 24, 2010

We won the giveaway MaryAnne at Mama Smiles hosted for Daisy Ribbons and got the cutest hair accessories as our prize. They are really beautifully made. I just had to share them with all of you! The zinnia design was our favorite, with three layers of ribbon petals and two different styles of flower centers. It's a big flower, but stays put with the help of the no slip strip. That's quite handy because otherwise, I know it would slide right off ER's fine hair.

I was quite torn between getting two of the zinnias and either a hibiscus or calla lilly. Both are unique designs with lots of detail. It came down to ER really wanting a blue flower and me a pink one that would match a lot of her outfits. They also feature garden bug inspired designs, the ladybug is so sweet, and I like the elaborate dragonfly, with it's multicolored wings and korker ribbon body.

Kelley at Daisy Ribbons is very sweet, she even sent us a bonus ladybug and let me change my mind from the original two I picked. The zinnias are made with A LOT of ribbon for a very full and pretty flower. You can see more of their designs on thee website, Facebook page, and follow them on Twitter.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Yay, another week with over a 100 links of inspiration. I had so much fun visiting each of you! Plus I now have enough new things bookmarks to keep me busy through the holiday season and it's only our fouth soiree! For my three weekly features, this time around I'd like to highlight a few nature inspired projects: You may have missed the Leaf Skeletons that The Other White House shared, Heather just hopped on yesterday. You'll want to check out how they turned real leaves into works of art and benefit from all her tips.Chantal Vincent Art carved her own toadstool stamp and provides us all with a how to. I've always wanted to make my own stamps and I'd love to get a set of these as a gift they are so darn cute! Saraccino turned a photograph she took of a grasshopper into a stencil. What a fun way to use your own photos for art projects.

Ladies, for being our features this week, we're happy to offer you our special Crafty Soiree Ribbon! It's yours to proudly display! Don't forget to check out today's Crafty Soiree post at Yesterday on Tuesday, we both pick three participants to feature each week so you might have been featured by Malia. But you'll have to visit her to find out!

Now it's your turn to link up! Here are some guidelines for our guests:

Link up your creative projects! Crafts, Decor, Recipes, Sewing and Organizing tips are are welcome. Kids crafts are welcome too, we want to see how you're encouraging the next generation of artists!

Add your links to the specific posts and not your blog's homepage. Please make sure you post is NEW to A Crafty Soiree, it can be from your archives but should not be something you linked up to our soiree before. We've had a few repeats and we'd like to avoid that.

Add my Crafty Soiree button above or link back to me in your posts, so others can find us and join in!

All partygoers love meeting new friends... if you see something that catches your fancy-- stop by and say hi!

Please consider following the hostesses, me and Malia, we want to get to know our guests

Most importantly... enjoy yourself and have fun!

Don't forget, A Crafty Soiree is hosted on two blogs, so when you link up on one your link will automatically show up on the other one too! Please note, by linking up to A Crafty Soiree, you're giving permission to feature your project and photos in the future, with proper credit of course☺

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I love to do family friendly reviews and giveaways for products that make life better from the kitchen to the playroom and beyond. As a former teacher, I also enjoy reviewing learning materials. Click above or katiesnestingspot(at)live(dot)com

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